Poilievre, Carney Postpone House Proceedings to Offer Condolences to Family of Murdered CRA Employee

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre offered condolences to the family of a Canada Revenue Agency employee who was killed earlier this week in Montreal while on a video call with a coworker.

Leïla Ben Salem was killed Sept. 22 at her apartment after a man entered the room and struck her with a blunt object, according to media reports.

Poilievre, who postponed his questioning in the House of Commons to allow Carney to offer his condolences, called Ben Salem a “treasured member of the public service who tragically lost her life,” and said “we Conservatives also wish to send our condolences to the family and loved ones of Miss Ben Salem.”

Carney added his condolences, saying the government will do all it can to punish the individual responsible for the killing.

“I wish to express our deepest condolences to the loved ones and family of Miss Ben Salem. Miss Ben Salem was an esteemed member of the Canada Revenue Agency. She was very dedicated to serving Canadians. She was, in fact, serving Canadians at the very moment of her passing,” Carney said.

“The Government of Canada and all members of this place will do our utmost to support police forces so that the person responsible for this crime pays the full price for it,” he added.

Condolences also came in from the Union of Taxation Employees Local 10008, which Ben Salem belonged to, with union President Sharon DeSousa issuing a Sept. 24 statement saying she was “heartbroken by the tragic death.”

“Violence has no place in our communities. As a union, we stand together in grief, but also in our commitment to building a world where everyone can live and work in safety and dignity,” DeSousa said.

Montreal police said the killing of Ben Salem is being treated as a homicide and the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made yet, although authorities say they have spoken to one person of interest in the case.

The murder of Ben Salem is Montreal’s nineteenth homicide of the year, according to authorities.

The city experienced 31 homicides in 2025, 25 of which have been solved, according to the SPVM.